


Final Push

by TheFlamingNymph



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Colonist (Mass Effect), Earth, Earthborn (Mass Effect), F/M, Injury, Paragade (Mass Effect), Paragon Commander Shepard, Renegade Commander Shepard, Renegon (Mass Effect), Sole Survivor (Mass Effect), Thane Lives, Two Shepards, Vanguard (Mass Effect), War Hero (Mass Effect), Warzone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-02
Updated: 2015-10-02
Packaged: 2018-04-24 10:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4915186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFlamingNymph/pseuds/TheFlamingNymph
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The final push towards the beam lies before them, but the men that hold the hearts of the Commanders find themselves being left behind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Final Push

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EggplantRed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EggplantRed/gifts).



> AU in which there are two Shepards, and Thane is cured of Keprals and joins the Normandy shortly after Priority: Citadel II. Takes place immediately after 'Hushed Goodbyes' and 'Better with Both'. 
> 
> In response to a tumblr prompt.

Thane almost hadn't seen it in time, and that shamed him. He had been too focused, too zoned in on the woman in front of him, too worried about how exposed she and her fellow Commander were to incoming fire. His heart had caught in his throat as Harbinger's blast hit too close to her, the force of the resulting explosion flipping a tank nearby. If it hadn't been so close to her, his eyes would have never followed its trajectory.

"Get down, now!" His words were lost in the sounds of battle and death around him, and his hand seized on the cowl of the turian's armor, yanking him down violently as the tank soared overhead. He might have been too rough in his handling, he thought belatedly, but the pain in his neck would be nothing compared to the pain of what almost happened.

It crashed behind them in an awful cacophony of sound, twisting metal and burning fuel roaring. Thane could feel pain lancing down his side, but his concern still laid with the turian pushing himself into a crouching position next to him. He probed his side tenderly to ensure the damage wasn't severe before tugging Garrus to cover behind another fallen vehicle.

"Are you injured?" He rasped out, lungs burning with smoke and fumes, coughing into his hand.

"I've survived worse. You?" Garrus rubbed the back of his neck, and he did seem mostly intact, yet parts of his armor were aglow with burning fuel. He was hurting worse than he'd say, couldn't say, not with what laid before them.

"Nothing I cannot recover from." There were a few broken ribs, his probing had revealed, a couple of burns, and at least one fracture, if the pain in his leg was accurate.

"Then what are we waiting for? Our Commanders still need us." He was rising to his feet when they both heard it.

"Joker! I need the Normandy down here for emergency extraction!" His siha's voice, tight with worry.

Skittering rubble and thumping and Ryal dropped besides Garrus from over the top of the vehicle. Her hand touched his scarred mandible lightly, forehead resting against his. "Vakarian, you alright?"

Distance in her voice, using his last name. His own Siha rounded around the side, her face streaked with blood and ash. Relief flooded her face, but there was distance there too, and he recalled her tears just that morning. What was happening clicked into place with sudden clarity. The realization hit Garrus at the same time. Only two of the four would be boarding the Normandy.

"No way in hell you're leaving me behind!" Garrus was outraged, hurt.

Thane watched his Siha though, her eyes turned upwards as the Normandy descended towards them, hair whipping around her face in the wind current generated. She turned back to him, and he could see words fail her.

"Garrus." The drell rose to his feet, helping the turian up. "It has been decided that we leave."

Relief was even more obvious on Aeryn's face now, Ryal's too, yet bile rose in the back of his throat at the thought of leaving them. His friend resisted, tried to fight against him even, as he led him towards the Normandy's opening cargo ramp.

The next moments happened too quickly, blurring by. Half choked goodbyes, declarations of love, and they were gone, the backlights of their armor bobbing as they hurtled once more towards the beam guarded by Harbinger.

A lifetime later, once they made it up to the CIC, the comm crackled into life, and his heart stopped. He caught Garrus as grief made his legs give way, supported him as they heard the despairing voice.

"Hammer has fallen, they're all gone. No confirmed survivors, no one made it to the beam."

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos make my day, comments make my life, so seriously, just plop them in that box and hit submit.


End file.
